Wilderness Medicine Survival CME Skills Course & Whitewater Rafting Adventure

This hands-on Wilderness Medicine Skills Course is one of the most highly regarded field courses in the world, and for good reason! Designed for physicians, PAs/NPs, nurses, and medical professionals, it blends practical medical training, wilderness skills, and real adventure in a spectacular outdoor setting. Non-medical guests (13+) are welcome, and often love it just as much.

You’ll earn 16 AMA PRA Category 1 CME credits through interactive workshops, realistic patient scenarios, and engaging demos which are taught riverside by legendary instructors including Howard Donner, MD and Sheryl Olson, RN, leaders in expedition and wilderness medicine.

Between sessions, you’ll enjoy four days of whitewater rafting on the Klamath and Salmon Rivers, incredible scenery, and farm-to-table meals prepared by Chef Lauren. There’s even an optional summit of Mt. Shasta (14,180 ft) for those looking to push a little higher.

Your basecamp is Paradise Point, a private 20-acre riverside retreat in Northern California’s Mt. Shasta–Marble Mountains Wilderness. It’s remote, beautiful, and surprisingly easy to reach via Medford (MFR).

This course goes beyond lectures. You’ll practice real-world skills like patient assessment, fracture management, evacuation techniques, hypothermia and heat illness care, navigation, rope skills, swift-water safety, and survival essentials. This is learning by doing, in the environments where these skills matter most.

Approved for 16 AMA PRA Category 1 CME Credits

The CME lectures take place at various beautiful riverside settings. The course features interactive workshops and demonstrations taught by renowned faculty including Howard Donner, MD and Sheryl Olson, RN – both leaders in the field of wilderness medicine. Topics include:

• Hypothermia, frostbite, heat illness, and altitude illness
• Field management of wounds, fractures, dislocations, and sprains including reduction and improvised splinting techniques
• Snake envenomations, wilderness ENT problems
• Backcountry evacuation, helicopter rescue, improvised carries, packaging, and litters
• Lightning, OB/gyn in the wilderness, waterborne illness and disinfection
• Patient assessment in an austere/wilderness setting
• Preparing a medical kit for travel, adventures, and expeditions

The course will also teach hands-on wilderness travel skills including:

• Fire starting, shelter building, signaling and attaining water
• Ropes & Knots for survival and rescue
• Orienteering (map and compass) and navigation (including GPS)
• Blister prevention and treatment
• Whitewater rafting skills and cold-water immersion
• Flood and swift-water crossing techniques
• Wilderness rescue, communications, emergencies in airplanes
• Basic mountaineering, ice axe, and snow travel skills (optional, taught by SWS Mountain Guides)

Head Instructor – Howard Donner, MD
Dr. Howard Donner is renowned as one of the world’s most experienced expedition physicians. He is also a highly acclaimed speaker on Wilderness Medicine.

Dr. Donner has been prominently featured in two award-winning NOVA television documentaries including; “Deadly Ascent” which chronicles mountain medicine and research on 20,320 ft Denali (Mount McKinley); and “Everest: The Death Zone”. Donner served as expedition doctor on the 1998 NOVA Everest expedition, which was featured in the television documentary: “Everest: The Death Zone”

• 3 seasons as a rescue doctor on Mt. McKinley in Alaska for the National Park Service at the 14,000 foot medical / rescue station
• Worked on numerous medical projects in the Himalayas including two seasons as a staff physician for the Himalayan Rescue Association
• Expedition physician on the first American ascent of Kangchenjunga, the world’s third highest peak (28,000 feet)
• Olympic physician for the United States White Water Team in Atlanta in 1996
• 5 years of service as a medical operations consultant for NASA, where he was involved in the design of the Shuttle and International Space Station medical systems
• Co-author of The Field Guide to Wilderness Medicine (3rd edition was published in August of 2008)

Sheryl Olson, RN, BSN: Wilderness medicine, survival, and navigation instructor for 28 years. 18 years as a helicopter flight nurse, and 10 years as an ICU nurse. Developed a survival training program for air medical flight crews in Colorado. Has led several expeditions to Everest base camp. One of the lead instructors of Advanced Wilderness Expedition Provider (AWEP).

Kyle Allred, PA-C: International guide on five continents; Co-owner of Adventure Whitewater (raft guide outfitting service). Wilderness survival instructor. Co-founder of MedCram.com and MedWild.com Instructional Videos.

Ryan Allred: Captain of US National Championship Raft team (2000). World-class kayaker and kayak instructor. Professional fly fishing guide. Co-Owner Adventure Whitewater (raft guide service).

CME ACCREDITATION INFORMATION
This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the Essential Areas and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education through the joint providership of the Center for Emergency Medical Education and Wilderness and Travel Medicine. The Center for Emergency Medical Education is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

The Center for Emergency Medical Education designates this live activity for a maximum of 16 AMA PRA Category 1 CreditsTM.

Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.